Sermon Central
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Does God Punish Us When We Sin? Series
Contributed by Brian Atwood on Mar 16, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: The misinformation about God unnecessarily makes many people far too afraid of Him when they should be seeking Him as their dearest friend.
The second answer to the God question, “Does God punish us when we sin?” is this. This is the second proper perspective I need to have. In addition to realizing that God does NOT have a dark side, I need to admit that…
2.I HAVE A SIN PROBLEM TO CONTEND WITH.
The bad news is, and don’t tune me out after I say this, because we’re going to get to the really Good News in just a few minutes, but the bad news is this: I deserve to be punished because I have done wrong.
God’s word says we’ve all done wrong things.
"If we say we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn’t in our hearts." 1 John 1:8 (CEV)
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his message isn’t in our hearts." 1 John 1:10 (CEV)
When I hear DC Talk singing “In the Light” on the radio I immediately identify. The vocalist is singing to God. Listen to what he says.
I keep trying to find a life, On my own, apart from you.
I am the king of excuses, I’ve got one for every selfish thing I do
What’s going on inside of me? I despise my own behavior.
This only serves to confirm my suspicions, That I’m still a man in need of a savior.
I wanna be in the light, As you are in the light.
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens.
Oh, lord be my light and be my salvation,
Cause all I want is to be in the light,
All I want is to be in the light.
The disease of self runs through my blood, Its a cancer fatal to my soul.
Every attempt on my behalf has failed, To bring this sickness under control.
Tell me, what’s going on inside of me? I despise my own behavior.
This only serves to confirm my suspicions, That I’m still a man in need of a savior.
Being “in the light” is the only answer for the punishment I deserve for my sins. But how do I get “in the light?” How can I live in the light as God is in the light?
The third answer to the God question, “Does God punish us when we sin?” and the third proper perspective I need about God and judgment is this – and this is THE GOOD NEWS!
But first, let’s quickly review:
1. GOD DOES NOT HAVE A DARK SIDE.
2. I DO. So I must be punished for my sins. But I’m not good enough to achieve God’s standard of total light on my own because of my own personal darkness.
What is the solution? Does God punish us when we sin? Bad news: Yes. Good News:
3. CHRIST SUFFERED SO THAT I NEED NOT BE PUNISHED.
Of all the misinformation about God and punishment nothing is more important to get clear than this!
God wanted to keep from punishing us so badly that He suffered our punishment for us. He sent His Son Jesus to suffer on Skull Hill for the eternal hell that you and I deserve.
He not only wanted to do it – it was essential that He do it. Since He is the only one without a dark side and since I have a sin problem there’s no penance I could perform to exact the punishment that my being a sinner demands.
So what did God do in His Son Jesus? He sacrificed His sinless blood. Look at the Good News from God’s word.
"And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away." 1 John 7b (CEV)
